Shrewsbury Town hero Alf Wood has dementia
[gallery] Shrewsbury Town legend Alf Wood is suffering from dementia, reopening the debate over the health risk posed by hard leather footballs.
The striker, who was inducted into the Shrewsbury Town Hall of Fame in 2012, is the fourth all-time highest league scorer for the club, with 64 goals.
He also gained cult status with Stafford Rangers after scoring both goals for them at Wembley to win the FA Trophy 2-0 against Kettering in 1979.
The 68-year-old grandfather, who also played for Walsall, Millwall, Middlesbrough, Hull City and Manchester City, can now barely speak and has no recollection of his legendary exploits on the turf.
His wife Joan has spoken publicly about her husband's illness after the family of late West Bromwich Albion striker Jeff Astle launched a bid to find ex-professionals also suffering health problems which could be linked to heading the old-style balls which were a lot heavier than the modern balls used today.
Joan, 67, lives in the couple's home near Walsall. She said: "I've read all the reports about the Astle family and I'm in the same boat. My husband's biggest skill was heading the ball and now he's got dementia.
"I'm not a neurologist so I can't say that's what caused Alf's illness. But, when I saw this (the Astle) case and the call for other relatives of suffering footballers to help, I knew I had to come forward. I know a lot of former footballers and their partners are going through something similar to us so there has to be some merit in investigating the possible links."
Joan and Alf were childhood sweethearts in Manchester and married in 1966.
Last July, Alf's condition saw him move permanently into a care home. Joan is now a member of a support group and her family have embarked on various hair-raising stunts to raise cash for Dementia UK.
"I never wanted him to go into a home, it was always a last resort," she said. "But he had to for his own safety and because I could no longer cope."
Alf's dementia has caused him to develop a near-crippling back injury and to lose more than three stone in weight.
Yet, despite his frail stature and poor cognition, he has not lost his sporting skills. "He can still kick a ball and catch," said Joan.
The Macclesfield-born player appeared in more than 250 games for Shrewsbury between 1966 and 1972.
In the 1971/72 season he was the joint top scorer in the country as he plundered 35 goals for Shrewsbury.
